Former Manchester United youth team coach Eric Harrison has died aged 81. The renowned coach was diagnosed with dementia four years ago, and news of his passing broke yesterday.
Eric Harrison was appointed to the Manchester United youth team in 1981 and went on to forge the careers of the famous Class of ‘92.
The Class of ‘92 featured Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers. Those Manchester United youth players formed the core of the team that won the treble in 1999.
Since his passing, the Class of ‘92 have paid tribute to Eric Harrison and described how much they owe to him. Quotes from the BBC’s Football Daily Podcast.
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The first man to speak, Gary Neville, sums it up quite aptly.
Gary Neville
Eric Harrison was a massive influence on me. He was just what I needed. He took absolutely no s–t. No s–t.
Paul Scholes
He was the major influence really. He was the one who taught us how to play football the Manchester United way, taught us how to handle ourselves on and off the pitch. Eric was special. There were many times when he told you how it was. If you were doing well, he’d be the first one to pat you on the back. If you weren’t doing too well, you knew about it and I think that prepared us very well for the manager.
The manager was exactly the same. If praise was needed he’d give it to you, if it wasn’t then you’d know about it as well. That preparation from being 16 – 18 prepared us very well and gave us everything we needed. A genius as a coach. He was a tough man, a really tough man to play for. But that’s what made us into the streetwise footballers we became.
Phil Neville
He didn’t prepare you just for a life in football, he prepared you to succeed in life. The values that he instilled in us – an unbelievable work ethic, a toughness in his attitude, the attention to detail. He would not let you get away with absolutely anything. The way he spoke to the kit man, the canteen lady, the way he dressed, your timekeeping – the values that stood us in good stead for all our lives. He had a massive, massive effect on everyone’s lives, not just the Class of ‘92 lads.
